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Southern California mudslides: 17 dead, others missing
(CNN) — The founder of a Catholic school is among the 17 people killed in deadly mudslides and flooding in Southern California. Hundreds of rescuers and dogs continued searching for people Wednesday, slogging through mud and debris. Roy Rohter, 84, and his wife, Theresa, were swept from their Montecito home, the headmaster said. Theresa was…
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Extreme hurricanes and wildfires made 2017 the most costly U.S. disaster year on record
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria combined with devastating Western wildfires and other natural catastrophes to make 2017 the most expensive year on record for disasters in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday. The disasters caused $306 billion in total damage in 2017, with 16 events that caused more than $1 billion in damage…
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5.1 magnitude earthquake rocks Iran’s western Kermanshah
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian media is reporting that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake has jolted the country’s western province of Kermanshah. Semi-official ISNA news agency says the temblor rocked the Kurdish town of Sarpol-e Zahab, about 520 kilometers, or 320 miles, west of Tehran on Saturday. It says the quake’s depth was eight kilometers, or…
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Insured losses in 2017 most ever at $135 billion after hurricanes
Insurers will have to pay claims of around $135 billion for 2017, a new report shows Insurers will have to pay claims of around $135 billion for 2017, the most ever, following a spate of hurricanes, earthquakes and fires in North America, according to a report published today. German reinsurer Munich Re, in its annual…
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2017: A year like never before for Infectious disease outbreaks [Nigeria]
IN the year 2017, like never before, Nigeria was faced with several outbreaks: cerebrospinal meningitis, Lassa fever, yellow fever, cholera and most recently Monkeypox. There was definitely no quiet period for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) – the national public health agency with the responsibility of preventing, detecting and responding to disease outbreaks….
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Post-Saleh guerrilla conflicts leave scores of civilians dead
In the past 10 days, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said in a statement that all sides in the country’s conflict are indiscriminately killing civilians. He said airstrikes by the Saudi-led Arab coalition alone killed 68 noncombatants in one day. The UN last week described the civil conflict in Yemen as…
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California’s largest ever fire was a force that could not be stopped
The fire left the mountains ghostly gray, vast slopes frozen still but for dust devils wandering the ash. Fire crews were conducting a last big operation in the high country, burning a ridge above Hartman Ranch to keep the main fire from mushrooming into a road-less wilderness where condors soar. The Thomas fire had already…
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California wildfires by the numbers: $177M spent, more than 1,000 structures destroyed
A spate of Southern California wildfires has destroyed an area larger than New York City and Philadelphia — combined. And the end might be weeks away. Blustery Santa Ana winds literally added fuel to the fires. which began Dec. 4. Here are the numbers behind the blazes: 1 death Firefighter Cory Iverson, from the San Diego unit…
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Nearly 90 Dead in Philippine Mudslides, Flooding as Storm Hits: Officials
People help to rescue flood victims in Lanao del Norte, Philippines, December 22, 2017 in this image taken from video footage obtained from social media. Aclimah Cabugatan Disumala/via REUTERS Reuters MANILA (Reuters) – A tropical storm in the Philippines triggered mudslides and flooding that killed nearly 90 people, while dozens are missing, police and disaster officials…
